Even in the face of COVID-29 Nigerians are still being exploited. This pandemic called coronavirus has troubled the world including Nigeria. Nations and leaders have dedicated themselves to ensure that their citizens survive this period, so that, perhaps, when it is all over, there will be citizens left to rule and citizens left to help rebuild the nation.
Some of the efforts some African countries are doing to assist their citizens include:
The Government of Guinea declared
-No payment of rent by citizens until December 2020
-Government to cover water and electricity bills for the next 3 months
-Free public transport for the next three months
-Free pharmaceutical products and basic necessities
The Government of Ghana has decided that the
-The government will cover all water bills for 3 months
-Health workers treating COVID-19 patients to receive 50% additional salary plus allowances
-All health workers to be exempted from paying tax for 3 months
The Government of Rwanda has embarked on
-Door-to-door distribution of food
-Provision of free water and electricity to its citizens
-Provision of free medical supplies
The Government of Botswana has given
-A $168 million relief fund to assist businesses to pay workers’ salaries so that none gets laid off.
The Government of Uganda declares-
-No payment of rent till further notice
-Distribution of food to the vulnerable
But in Nigeria, my country, the reverse is the case. I read the news and watched it on TV. that citizens will be given 3 months of free electricity as regards the lockdown because of COVID-29. I have been waiting for the time this will be implemented only to receive an electricity bill of four thousand and five hundred naira (#4500) for the month of April 2020, see evidence of the bill, and the payment here
I managed to pay this bill because little money was still in my hands. Still believing that the three months free electricity will commence this month May 2020, but I was highly dumbfounded when Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) agent brought me another bill of four thousand, one hundred and seventy-nine naira and sixty kobo (#4279.60) on 6th May 2020 in the morning, with a letter, see the bill and the letter here
I was dismayed when I read the letter which claimed that AEDC has been providing me with light since the lockdown without insisting on payment, and therefore will start demanding for payment by 12th of May this year 2020, meanwhile I have been paying my electricity bills and have not missed not even for once. The worst of it all is that the electric light is not steady, sometimes throughout a day, there will be no electric light. And when the light does come, most times it lasts for just ten to twenty minutes. I almost shed tears to read this liar from the pit of hell. And I asked myself, does our lives and comfort in Nigeria our fatherland means and worth nothing to the leaderships of Nigeria? Every parastatal in the nation is now leveraging on lies and politicking to exploit us. Our lives and comfort are being used to play politics.
I have been a graduate since 2014 without a government job. I got a private job to teach in a private secondary school (you should know how private schools pay their staff). The lockdown because of COVID-19 has affected me, in the sense that, I no longer work to earn a living and these bills are coming from here and there. What does the government of Nigeria expect us to do? Are we still Nigerians? Don't our lives have value? Even if we don't deserve the support of our government and the parastatal in the nation, why lie to have given us some favor when there is never a favor of any kind given to us.
At least for the sake of God and this pandemic perilous time, political and parastatal leadership in Nigeria should be honest, compassionate, and considerate to Nigerians, especially the poor, weak, and unemployed.
God bless Nigeria
All Rights Reserved
Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu
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